England wins gold medal race at Commonwealth Games

By DENNIS PASSA -
Associated Press -
Sunday, August 3, 2014

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - After her country was usurped in the gold medal race by England, Australian pop star Kylie Minogue closed the Commonwealth Games on Sunday as Glasgow passed the baton to the Gold Coast.

Australia missed out on top spot in the medal standings for the first time since 1986, but will be hoping for better things in four years when Queensland hosts the multi-sports event that attracts athletes from countries aligned with the former British Empire.

Hampden Park was transformed from a track and field arena into a music venue, with athletes filling a field scattered with tents to recreate a festival vibe.

“The games have made us all very proud and truly brought our family together,” Commonwealth Games Federation President Prince Imran Tunku of Malaysia told the 40,000-strong crowd. “Scotland, and Glasgow, you really have delivered in every aspect the best games ever.”

Here is a look at the highlights of the 11th and final day of competition:

ENGLISH SUCCESS: The first gold Sunday went to English cyclist Lizzie Armistead in the road race, and the country ended the day with another in badminton to increase its total to 58, nine clear of second-place Australia.

Armitstead, who finished second in the London Olympics road race and at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, led an England one-two finish in the 98-kilometer (61-mile) race on the wet streets of Glasgow.

“Now I can call myself a champ, not a runner-up,” Armitstead said. “It was special, something I’ve always dreamed about.”

She finished the seven-lap course in 2 hours, 38 minutes, 43 seconds. Her teammate Emma Pooley, the silver medalist in the time trial on Thursday and who said she plans to retire from cycling, was 25 seconds behind.

Ashleigh Pasio of South Africa took the bronze in a photo finish with Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell. Both finished 1:11 behind Armitstead.

Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, the gold medalist in the time trial, was fifth.

“It was a great course,” Armitstead said. “I won the national championships here last year, so I was prepared. I definitely had an advantage knowing the track.”

And the rain, which hit the course on several occasions to make conditions slippery for the riders, helped Armitstead.

“As soon as it started to rain, I knew that was an advantage, because when you’re solo you can keep going fast in the wet,” she said.

WELSH TRIUMPH: In the 12-lap, 168-kilometer (104-mile) men’s race held through mostly steady rain, Geraint Thomas of Wales, who won bronze in the time trial here and was 22nd in this year’s Tour de France, overcame a punctured tire with just under seven kilometers (4.3 miles) remaining to win gold.